Stunning Sikkim

               Stunning Sikkim         

1. Languages of Sikkim

"The official languages of the state are English, Nepali, Sikkimese (Bhutia) and Lepcha. Additional official languages include Gurung, Limbu, Magar, Mukhia, Newari, Rai, Sherpa and Tamang for the purpose of preservation of culture and tradition in the state.

Nepali is the lingua franca of Sikkim, while Sikkimese (Bhutia) and Lepcha are spoken in certain areas. English is also spoken and understood in most of Sikkim. Other languages include Dzongkha, Groma, Hindi, Majhi, Majhwar, Thulung, Tibetan, and Yakha."

2.  Musical instruments of Sikkim

Taal

Susira

Ghana

Avandya

3. Piligrim sites of Sikkim

Rumtek Monastery, Sikkim

One of the most famous monasteries in Sikkim, the Rumtek Monastery is known for its ideal site and location with scenic vantage points. Located 23 Km from the capital city of Gangtok, the Rumtek Monastery in Sikkim offers breathtaking views of the mountains along with beautiful greeneries in the surroundings. From the main gate at the base, it requires about half a km of walk to reach the main gompa. One of the largest monasteries in Sikkim, Rumtek belongs to the Kargyu sect and was built by Gyalwa Karmapa in the 1960s.

The Rumtek Monastery, Sikkim exemplifies the best of Tibetan architecture that will leave you fascinated.  Originally called the Dharma Chakra Centre, the Rumtek Monastery in Sikkim includes a beautiful shrine temple and a monastery for the monks, which was established to spread the teachings of the Buddha throughout the world. A walkway surrounds the Rumtek Monastery where monks, pilgrims, and visitors perform ‘kora’, a type of meditative practice in the Tibetan Buddhist traditions involving a revolution around a sacred site or object.

  Dubdi Monastery Sikkim

Established in 1701, Dubdi Monastery is considered to be the oldest monastery in Sikkim which carries immense historical significance. A Buddhist shrine of the Nyingma sect of Tibetan Buddhism, it is one of the popular monasteries in Sikkim located at mesmerizing hilltop location amidst the thick chestnut forest.

The monastery features a 2-storeyed stone architecture, stands at an altitude of 2,100 meters carrying images of divinities, saints, other symbols, and a collection of manuscripts and texts. It comprises a bell-shaped structure atop the roof known as Gyaltshen which is remarkably positioned. The Dubdi Monastery, Sikkim also features statues of three lamas positioned in the monastery who worked towards the establishment of Yuksom

4. History of temple Baba Harbhajan Singh

Baba Harbhajan Singh – Baba temple is a holy shrine situated at a distance of 60 km from Gangtok towards Nathula Border between China and India.

It was constructed to show reverence to Baba Harbhajan Singh, a soldier of an lndian army, who was drowned in a glacier while trying to lead an column of mules carrying supplies to a remote outpost.

The search operation was launched and every effort was made to find his missing body but it was nowhere to be found. According to the legend, it was Baba himself through a dream, who helped the searching party to find his body covered under a huge lump of snow and even expressed the strong desire to have a samadhi made after him.

It is further believed that during the event of a war between India and China, Baba would warn the Indian soldiers of any impending attack at least three days in advance. It is said that he did continue to serve the nation even after his death.

5. Mixed world heritage site 

Khangchendzonga National Park (KNP), Sikkim has been inscribed as India’s first “Mixed World Heritage Site” on UNESCO World Heritage List, by fulfilling the nomination criteria under both natural and cultural heritage. The 40th Session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee, at a meeting in Istanbul, Turkey, granted approval for the inscription of India’s on the coveted UNESCO World Heritage List. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS), the two Advisory Bodies of UNESCO had earlier given their positive recommendations to the 21 member UNESCO World Heritage Committee, to inscribe Khangchendzonga National Park (KNP), Sikkim as a 'Mixed World Heritage Site'.

The KNP exhibits one of the widest altitudinal ranges of any protected area worldwide. The Park has an extraordinary vertical sweep of over 7 kilometres (1,220m to 8,586m) within an area of only 178,400 ha and comprises a unique diversity of lowlands, steep-sided valleys and spectacular snow-clad mountains including the world’s third highest peak, Mt. Khangchendzonga. Numerous lakes and glaciers, including the 26 km long Zemu Glacier, dot the barren high altitudes. The KNP lies within the Himalaya global biodiversity hotspot and displays an unsurpassed range of sub-tropical to alpine ecosystems. The Himalayas are narrowest here, resulting in extremely steep terrain, which magnifies the distinction between the various eco-zones. The KNP is located within a mountain range of global biodiversity conservation significance and covers 25% of the State of Sikkim, acknowledged as one of India’s most significant biodiversity concentrations. The KNP is home to a significant number of endemic, rare and threatened plant and animal species and has the highest number of plant and mammal species recorded in the Central/High Asian Mountains, except compared to the Three Parallel Rivers of Yunnan Protected Areas, in China; and also has a high number of bird species.